Rapid Vienna sporting director Fredy Bickel has been forced to defend head coach Goran Djuricin for a rude gesture allegedly directed at fans during an Austrian Cup clash.

Rapid travel to Glasgow next week to face Rangers in the Europa League but fans have been calling for Djuricin's exit for weeks and tensions rose during the clash against SV Mattersburg.

Vienna were taken all the way in the cup clash, beating their Bundesliga rivals 5-4 on penalties.

And during the game, Djuricin was targeted by calls for him to leave with fans chanting "Gogo out". The Vienna coach responded by sticking his middle finger up on his head before being accused of aiming that at his own supporters.

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But he denied it was aimed at fans and insisted he would never do that.

Djuricin said: "I've made one or two mistakes in the past, but I've always apologised for that. But I vehemently oppose the claim that I was supposed to have insulted our fans.

"I would never even dream of doing such a thing.

"The fans were in the other side of the stadium - I won't apologise for something I did not do.

"I will never quit and I will fight for what is best for Rapid."

Djuricin was also backed by Bickel who said: "I find it spiteful, not to say disgusting. Nobody is sure what was real. For me, that goes in the direction of reputational damage. I have an incredibly great admiration for this coach."

Rapid currently sit seventh in the Austrian Bundesliga table with just two wins from eight games, trailing 15 points behind leaders Red Bull Salzburg, who face Celtic on Thursday night.